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The author Ray Argyle discusses his new book Inventing Secularism: The Radical Life of George Jacob Hollyoake (McFarland Books, 2021), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Inventing Secularism

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British

Ray Argyle joins me again. The prolific author has just published a new biography, Inventing Secularism: The Radical Life of George Jacob Hollyoake. The life of Hollyoake, as you’ll hear Ray say shortly is an important one. Hollyoake’s 19th century life has some relevance to ours in the 21st. At the age of 25, Hollyoake, upon release from an English prison, was determined to end religion’s control over daily life. He invented the word secularism, at a time when the church and state, in England, weren’t separate. We get a sense of what drove Hollyoake’s life and work, and how he also was a campaigner for public education, freedom of the press, women’s rights, universal suffrage, and the cooperative movement. This is the first modern biography of George Hollyoake, a figure that Ray has found admiration in. He’ll tell us shortly about how the rise of religious extremism and populist authoritarianism may put secularism at risk in other parts of the world today. Visit www.rayargyle.com for more information. This new book is published by McFarland Books. It’s fitting that Ray is the last guest of this, my seventeenth year of the podcast. He was an early guest back in 2004 when I started the show, in fact he was on show number 16. Today is his sixth appearance on the program. Ray’s not only a good friend, but a remarkably productive writer. He’s written biographies of Scott Joplin, de Gaulle, Joey Smallwood, and others, including a novel, a memoir, and a children’s book. All this after a career in journalism, and then a successful career in communications and consulting. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Ray Argyle; Mr. Argyle, good morning.

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Rainbow Robert, the artistic director of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival discusses this year’s festival and more, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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Rainbow Robert joins me again. The Artistic Director of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival previews this year’s offering. It’s a modified program streaming 25 June to 04 July 2021. Check out the program calendar at https://www.coastaljazz.ca, and check back regularly because details could change, and perhaps in a good way, for example some of the local venues may in a few weeks allow for some limited in person attendance. The festival like most everybody else will be guided by the Provincial Health Officer’s instructions. But for the moment, the streaming offerings are rather good. Local mainstays like Brad Turner, Dee Daniels, Dawn Pemberton, Krystle Dos Santos, Cory Weeds, and Jill Barber, among others, will be featured in performance. There are also streams from venues in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, and Paris. There are ticketed events, but a lot of free ones as well, like Kuya Quartet, June 28th at Performance Works. The website again is at https://www.coastaljazz.ca. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Rainbow Robert; Ms. Robert, good morning.

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The filmmaker Joella Cabalu discusses her new short film, Ode to a Seafaring People, on Filipino seafarers, part of the Behind the Façade series for Knowledge Network, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British

Joella Cabalu joins me

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The academic and filmmaker Lyana Patrick discusses her three new short films, The Train Station, The Tomahawk, and A Place to Belong, part of Knowledge Network’s Behind the Façade series of films debuting Thursday, 03 June 2021, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British

This Thursday night, 03 June 2021, Knowledge Network will be debuting a new collection of short films. These ten new shorts will air together, and then for the next while, they’ll be airing on the network throughout their broadcast day. Behind the Façade celebrates the stories of communities that make up British Columbia’s history. They are films that shine a light on historic buildings and neighbourhood touchstones that illustrate the resilience of diverse communities in this province. Joining me now is the filmmaker responsible for three of the shorts, Lyana Patrick. I’ll ask her about the stories she tells in her films. First is The Train Station, where she narrates her family’s story of love and survival at Lejac Indian Residential School. With Rosemary Georgeson, Lyana also directed A Place to Belong, taking us to a Christmas event at Vancouver’s Friendship Centre. The film tells the story of the Friendship Centre movement, its place and meaning in the community, as well what it represents considering the history of residential schools. And then in The Tomahawk, Lyana explores the kitsch and caricature that fill the North Shore’s long running Tomahawk restaurant, the oldest family run restaurant in British Columbia. It also looks at the relationship between the restaurant and the local Squamish people. Dr. Lyana Patrick is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. She holds degrees from the University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia, and was a Fulbright Scholar. Her Twitter handle is @LyanaPatrick. Behind the Façade also features shorts by Banchi Hanuse, Baljit Sangra, Joella Cabalu (who’ll also be on the program shortly), and Dave Rodden-Shortt. They are produced by Lantern Films. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Lyana Patrick; Dr. Patrick, good morning.

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